Famous Fast Eddies

Beech Mountain is such a small community that I can fly the drone off the back deck at Slopeside and pretty much fly through the entire town. It sort of feels like having some prescient superpower! Pictured here is the excellent Famous Fast Eddie's (the larger building), the Mile High Tavern (smaller building) and the ski village and ski mountain (background).

Famous Fast Eddies is a five-minute walk from our place provided that you don't stop to watch the deer who are always wandering around the mountain. Eddie is from Chicago, which means that I can get proper Chicago dogs at nearly any hour of the day or night! Add to that beers on tap from Beech Mountain Brewing Company, including Eddie's Strong Hand, which is custom brewed for Eddie, and you can't go wrong! 

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.

Outrunning the Storm

Leaving Nassau on a cruise ship is an interesting event. The ships queued up one after another to race out of the harbor in all directions, trying to beat the storms. It looks like our neighbors on Norwegian Cruise Lines forgot to pay the weather bill before their departure.

As we left the port, we sat on our terrace and watched the storm clouds absolutely chase down the Norwegian ship. They managed to stay ahead right up until the end. 

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.

Hogsmeade Station

Welcome to Hogsmeade Station, gateway to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry! The designers and engineers at Universal Studios did such a fantastic job in everything that they touched at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter that you really feel like you're stepping into Harry's world. If they could just get rid of all of the fanny-pack and rain-poncho wearing muggles, the illusion would be complete! Seriously, though, if you haven't been to the WWoHP and you are a fan of the books, add it to your bucket list. It really is that great!

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.

Flag Day

My grandmother's favorite holiday was Flag Day and this post is for her :-)  

I think it says quite a bit about her and her generation — I'm pretty sure most Americans don't even know Flag Day is a holiday. Her father was the first postmaster of Chicagoland's Fox River Grove Post Office, as seen in this undated photograph.

Happy Flag Day!

This flag is proudly flying in front of Fred's General Mercantile on Beech Mountain. 

South Lake Tahoe from Zephyr Cove

According to my Jeep, we hit 100 degrees this weekend in Charlotte to it's time to take it back to the winter. This is the view of South Lake Tahoe from peaceful Zephyr Cove, just five miles away.

This photograph was captured with a Sony DSC-S70 camera.

Mosque of the Booksellers

This replica of the famed Mosque of the Booksellers in Morocco is sponsored by none other than the King of Morocco. Learn more about the Mosque and the Moroccan World Showcase in my previous photos — I can't overstate how much I enjoy visiting the Moroccan World Showcase!

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.

Linn Cove Viaduct

This 1,243 foot-long bridge was the final section to be completed on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Work began on the Blue Ridge Parkway on September 11, 1935. Construction of the Linn Cove Viaduct began in 1979 and was completed in 1987. It consists of 50 concrete pieces that were poured indoors at a nearby facility and then lowered into place by crane. The Viaduct was needed to provide access around the giant boulder fields of Grandfather Mountain without destroying them by cutting a tunnel through them. 

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.

Delphinus II

Our annual beach trip to Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms, is getting closer! Nothing says summer like sand between your toes and some time out on the water. This split-hull boat is the Delphinus. We've taken a few trips on her out to Boneyard Beach in the past. I think it's time to start planning some excursions for our upcoming trip! If anybody has any suggestions, let me know!

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone. 

River of Clouds

Early mornings on Beech Mountain are nearly always breathtaking. This photograph was taken from the back deck at Slopeside a little past 7am as the sun was rising over the mountains. As the sun began to burn off the haze, the valleys below were left with what can only be described as rivers of clouds flowing through them. Beech Mountain is the highest U.S. town east of the Rockies and times like this remind you that it's really nice to be on top of the world!

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.

House Elf Placement Agency

I'm not a fan of the house elf story arc in the Harry Potter films but I did think this was a clever storefront tucked away around the corner in Diagon Alley at Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7 (the predecessor to the excellent a6300).